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Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago writes the the Cubs have signed Chad Tracy to a minor league contract. Tracy can play both infield corner positions well, and has some experience in right and left field as well.

His main asset through his career has been his bat, but that skill was not in evidence in either of the last two seasons as he battled injuries and struggled to stay in the Diamondbacks lineup. His career OPS of .792 is not particularly great for a first baseman, but works as a bat off the bench who can cover the four corners adequately, especially on a minor-league deal. He'll compete with Micah Hoffpauir in spring training for that bench role. Should Tracy win the job, he'll earn $900,000 with an additional bonus of $525,000 if he reaches 450 plate appearances.

Joe Tetreault is a member of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey.